Green Synthesis and Antioxidant Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Ficus benghalensis

Background: Nanoparticles are materials with overall dimensions in the nanoscale, ie, under 100 nm. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have shown excellent bactericidal properties against a wide range of microorganisms. Ficus benghalensis is a very large tree and had been considered as effective, economical and safe treatments for curing various diseases.

Aim: The present study is aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activity of AgNPs synthesized using F. benghalensis.

Materials and Methods: Bio-mediated synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles using F. benghalensis is a promising alternative to traditional chemical synthesis. The antioxidant activity of AgNPs was synthesized using DPPH radical scavenging assay. 1 gm of F. benghalensis mixed with 100 mL of distilled water and boiled in 60-70 degree celsius in the heating mantle for 10-15 minutes. Add filtered using Whatman no. 1 filter paper. 20 milli molar (0.574g) of silver was dissolved in 60mL of distilled water. 40 mL of filtered F. benghalensis extract is mixed with 60 mL of silver nanoparticles.

Results: ​ The activity of F. benghalensis extract was compared with standard ascorbic acid by measuring absorption intensity in the spectrophotometer at the wavelength of 517 nm. While increasing the concentration (10 µL, 20 µL, 30 µL, 40 µL, 50 µL) of F. benghalensis extracts, the percentage of inhibition of DPPH also increased.

Conclusion: ​In this study, a simple, biological and low-cost approach was done for the preparation of silver nanoparticles using F. benghalensis. Thus the synthesized F. benghalensis mediated silver nanoparticles can be subjected to the various other biological activities such as antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic evaluation to know the efficiency of these nanoparticles.